What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
Bats are the only mammals on Earth that can fly. While a few other mammals, such as flying squirrels, have built-in "wing suits" that help them glide impressive distances, bats are the only species that can actually fly.
Bats spend a lot of time sticking their noses into flowers, looking for resting bugs to eat and nectar to drink. This also makes them excellent pollinators, and in tropical areas they are actually essential to flower pollination.
Bats can be found all over the world. There are over 1,400 known bat species on the planet, with habitats stretching from Southeast Asia to Central America, from Australia to Canada.
The largest species of bat is the flying fox, which can be found across the South Pacific. Some types of flying fox, like the giant golden-crowned flying fox, can grow to have a wingspan of six feet (1.8 m).
Bats are famously nocturnal, but they don't always operate in darkness. Numerous species of bats that live in habitats free from predators, usually on islands, have been seen flying high and hunting for insects in broad daylight.
Bats are excellent fliers, and can reach surprisingly impressive speeds. It's common for bats to reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour (over 95 km/h), and some studies have even suggested that some bats can reach speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).
Why are bats nocturnal in the first place? Scientists believe that bats developed nocturnal habits to hide from daytime predators and to avoid competition from other insect-loving animals.
Echolocation is likely the bat's most famous tool, a novel way of mapping out their environment that is also used by dolphins. By sending out 10 to 20 high-pitched 'beeps' a second, bats can build an incredibly detailed, three-dimensional map of their surroundings by listening to the reverberations. Some bats have such precise echolocation that they can even detect a single strand of hair.
Apart from bears, bats are perhaps the world's most famous hibernators. During the wintertime, bats huddle together in their roosts and sleep through most of the season, only waking up occasionally to eat.
Scientists have discovered a compound in bat blood known as DSPA that can be used to treat humans who have suffered strokes. DPSA also has blood-thinning qualities that help prevent the patient's blood from clotting.
There are three states in the US that claim the bat as their own official state animal. Virginia claims the Virginia big-eared bat, while Texas and Oklahoma both claim the Mexican free-tailed bat.
One of the most unique and distinct species of bat is the Honduran white bat. Native to the rain forests of Honduras and Nicaragua, these tiny critters sleep together in the leaves of large plants high up off the forest floor.
Bats hang upside down to assist them in their takeoffs into flight. Since using their legs for walking isn't the strong suit of most bats, they rarely get a running start. Instead, they drop down from tree limbs and cave ceilings to build velocity.
The smallest species of bat in the world, aptly named the little brown bat, is also in fact the smallest mammal on the planet. Native to Thailand and sometimes called the bumblebee bat, these tiny creatures can weigh less than a penny.
Bats are regularly thought to dwell in caves, and while bats do enjoy a good cave, they are very particular about the temperature and humidity of the caves they choose. Only around 5% of caves in the United States are suitable for bat dwelling.
The mothers-to-be in some bat species can control when their gestation begins and when they give birth. Even though the average bat's gestation period isn't longer than a couple of months, many bats mate before going into hibernation and prevent their eggs from being fertilized until the springtime or summertime.
In certain East Asian cultures, particularly in China and Japan, bats are seen as signs of good luck. In both the Chinese and Japanese languages, the word for bat and for good fortune sound almost the same.
The oldest-known bat fossils were found around Yellowstone National Park in the Western United States. These fossils, more than 50 million years old, place this now-extinct bat species in the early Eocene period.
A cave in Texas known as Bracken Cave is thought to be the home of the largest bat colony in the world. An estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats live in Bracken Cave, making it not only the largest bat colony but also the largest concentration of mammals in the world.
Bats have particularly long lifespans in comparison to other mammals of the same size. Larger bats can live up to around 20 years, while some smaller species, like the myotis bat, can live up to an astonishing 40 years of age.
The classic image of a bat with its wings wrapped around itself has a purpose beyond sometimes looking a bit spooky, The membrane of a bat's wings act as a blanket during sleep and helps keep the bat warm.
Despite being one of the world's most essential pollinators, champions of keeping down the populations of pesky insects like mosquitos, and posing very little risk to humans, bats are all too often viewed in a negative light due to their association with vampires and witchcraft.
Scientists have observed a correlation between the size of a bat and its dependence on echolocation. Smaller species of bats are thought to rely the most on echolocation, while larger bats like the flying fox have much less trouble navigating with their vision.
Almost all species of bats rest and hibernate together in colonies, and while they usually hunt and feed alone, they are known to share food with their neighbors back at the colony.
Sources: (National Geographic) (The Nature Conservancy) (Facts.net)
See also: Pigeons: Unveiling the hidden talents of the world's most misunderstood bird
Native to Central and South America, the vampire bat is the only mammal on Earth that subsists exclusively on blood. But don't worry: it is almost unheard of for a vampire bat to try to feed on a human.
Contrary to popular belief, bats aren't entirely blind. Although they do rely heavily on echolocation to get a better idea of their environment, most bats' eyes work just fine, although they can be extremely sensitive to light.
Some species of bats that live in cold climates can conserve their energy so well that they can survive through the winter even after being completely encased in ice.
More than half of the bat species native to North America are endangered. Despite having few natural predators, populations have been decimated by habitat loss and one particularly dangerous fungal disease known as white nose syndrome, thought to be carried into bat habitats by humans and which causes hibernating bats to wake up more frequently during hibernation, thus depleting the bats' energy reserves before springtime and causing the poor creatures to starve to death.
Consistent with their reputation as little flying dogs, baby bats are referred to as "pups." Unlike dogs, however, most bats only give birth to one pup a year, and never give birth to litters.
Bats can be found all over the globe, and are one of our greatest allies in the animal world. For instance, without bats, the world would have far fewer bananas and far more mosquito bites! As expert pollinators and insect enthusiasts, it is truly a shame that bats are still met with such scorn. Their association with the horrors of the night that began centuries ago with stories of vampires and witchcraft has ruined the reputation of these beautiful, hard-working, and generally harmless creatures. As with everything, the more you understand something, the less you fear it, so here are some bat facts to help set the record straight.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about our flying nocturnal friends.
Bats: The unsung heroes of the night
Discover the true importance of these misunderstood creatures and why we should cherish them
LIFESTYLE Bat appreciation month
Bats can be found all over the globe, and are one of our greatest allies in the animal world. For instance, without bats, the world would have far fewer bananas and far more mosquito bites! As expert pollinators and insect enthusiasts, it is truly a shame that bats are still met with such scorn. Their association with the horrors of the night that began centuries ago with stories of vampires and witchcraft has ruined the reputation of these beautiful, hard-working, and generally harmless creatures. As with everything, the more you understand something, the less you fear it, so here are some bat facts to help set the record straight.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about our flying nocturnal friends.